Everyone immediately stopped their conversation and waited with smiles as Gu Xi entered.

Gu Xi wore a blue-green kesi silk vest over her garments. Her jet-black hair was casually styled in a simple bun with a gold-plated pearl hairpin inserted in it. Her cheeks were rosy with a white complexion, her eyes bright and spirited—she looked very energetic.

Lady Pei nodded repeatedly upon seeing her and said with a smile, “It seems you’ve recovered completely!”

Gu Xi smiled and paid her respects to Lady Pei and Lady Yi, saying, “Thanks to the blessings of both Ladies, I’m fully recovered now.”

Lady Yi also looked very gratified, repeatedly saying “That’s good,” and quickly invited Gu Xi to sit down, adding, “Even though you’ve recovered, you mustn’t be careless. You should rest for a few more days.”

Gu Xi thanked Lady Yi and sat down beside Yu Tang. Second Madam then arrived with Second Miss and the others.

The room immediately became lively.

Fourth Miss saw Second Madam and Fifth Miss gathered before Lady Pei talking, so she quietly beckoned to Yu Tang.

Yu Tang looked around and saw that Gu Xi, Second Miss, and Third Miss were also clustered near Lady Yi, listening to Second Madam and Fifth Miss talk. She quietly walked over and asked Fourth Miss softly, “What is it?”

Fourth Miss spoke to her somewhat proudly in a low voice: “Second Sister’s marriage to Young Master Yang is about to be settled—the Yang family will send someone tomorrow to discuss the betrothal with our family!”

That boastful little manner made Yu Tang want to pinch her cheeks.

“Your information is truly well-informed!” she said, playing along with Fourth Miss’s words.

Fourth Miss became even more pleased, lifting her chin and saying, “Yesterday Second Sister and Third Sister were whispering, and I overheard.”

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips.

Fourth Miss continued, “Actually, it wasn’t Second Sister who took a liking to Young Master Yang—it was Third Uncle who approved of Young Master Yang.”

Pei Yan was involved in managing these matters?

How would he know whether that Young Master Yang and Second Miss were suitable for each other?

Yu Tang couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows.

Fourth Miss, thinking she didn’t believe her, hurriedly said, “It’s true! I’m not deceiving you. Young Master Yang knew that Third Uncle was also at Ku’an Temple, so he went to see Third Uncle first. Third Uncle spoke with him for two quarters of an hour. Later, Third Great-grandmother sent someone to ask Third Uncle what Young Master Yang was like, and Third Uncle said his scholarship was quite good, so Second Sister agreed.”

This, this seemed a bit too hasty, didn’t it?

Back then, Li Duan was also quite accomplished in his studies, but wasn’t he still a scoundrel!

The little person in Yu Tang’s heart wiped the sweat from her forehead, and she couldn’t help but look toward Second Miss.

Second Miss had somehow started talking with Lady Pei. Yu Tang only heard her say, “Rest assured, I will definitely help Third Sister make the incense.” After speaking, she pulled Gu Xi closer, “If you don’t trust me, isn’t there still Sister Gu? When the time comes, with Sister Gu helping us, what would you have to worry about?”

Lady Pei laughed heartily and said, “The New Year is approaching. Could your Sister Gu possibly stay at our house all the time? You only know that your father and mother hold you in the palm of their hands, thinking of you constantly. Don’t Sister Gu’s parents miss her too?”

The room fell silent.

Lady Pei had never before mentioned Gu Xi returning home for the New Year.

This was the first time.

Gu Xi’s face burned hotly. She felt as if Lady Pei was driving her away, which filled her with shame and indignation, yet she couldn’t say a single word in response.

She stood there at a loss, stammering, “I, I was also planning to return home in the next couple of days. As for Second Miss’s matter, I’m afraid I won’t be able to help much…”

Second Miss also felt very embarrassed and quickly took Gu Xi’s arm, saying apologetically, “Oh my, I completely forgot about the New Year! Sister Gu has been at our house just like one of our sisters. It would be wonderful if she could often visit our home in the future.”

Gu Xi couldn’t help but look toward Lady Pei.

Lady Pei smiled even more benevolently and said, “That you sisters can get along so well is also fate. If Miss Gu has time, she’s welcome to visit often. These sisters all enjoy liveliness and would certainly welcome Miss Gu warmly.”

“Exactly, exactly,” Second Miss echoed repeatedly.

Yet Gu Xi had barely managed to control the expression on her face, not revealing any shock or disappointment.

Previously, when she wanted to establish seniority with Yu Tang, Lady Pei had with a single sentence made them into “Miss Gu” and “Miss Yu.” Now, Lady Pei was proactively suggesting she and the Pei household’s young misses address each other as sisters. If it were an ordinary person, eight or nine out of ten would think they had won over Lady Pei, and that Lady Pei was showing them favor. But she was not an ordinary person. Having grown up in the complex environment of the Gu household, she could see through certain matters without anyone pointing them out—on the surface, she seemed to have grown closer to the Pei family. Behind the scenes, however, Lady Pei had placed a generational gap between her and Pei Yan.

Had she been kicked out of the game by Lady Pei after Pei Yan had already done so?

But why?

What exactly had she done wrong?

Why did both mother and son look down on her?

Gu Xi couldn’t figure it out, and her face suddenly turned as white as plain silk.

Second Miss said with concern, “Sister Gu, what’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Gu Xi shook her head and forced herself to smile, saying gently, “I’m fine!”

Second Miss looked at her face hesitantly and said, “But your complexion…”

Gu Xi knew she hadn’t managed to completely maintain her composure after all. She quickly said, “Is my complexion that bad? Perhaps I was too tired yesterday.”

Though Second Miss became suspicious, since she was on good terms with Gu Xi, she naturally wouldn’t embarrass her on such an occasion. She smiled and changed the subject, teasing Third Miss instead: “Yesterday Third Sister kept me up almost all night with her noise. She was bent over her desk writing for half the night, and I don’t even know what she was writing. When I asked her, she only said she wanted to write down the incense-making process first so she could consult books when she got home. But if you ask me, she probably isn’t very confident. Sister Gu, when are you returning home? I’d like to ask you to help Third Sister and me make some Buddhist incense first while you’re still at our house these few days. What do you think?”

Gu Xi had no desire to do Yu Tang any favors.

In her view, even if the Pei family didn’t publicize Yu Tang’s contribution to this matter, in the hearts of the Pei household’s womenfolk, the Ku’an Temple affair was Yu Tang’s achievement. Anything she did related to Ku’an Temple would be adding glory to Yu Tang’s reputation.

“I’m returning home in the next couple of days,” she declined tactfully. “I’m afraid there won’t be enough time. Moreover, I’ve looked at the incense formula Miss Yu provided—it requires many fragrant materials, and it would be difficult to gather all these materials in such a short time…”

Both Second Miss and Third Miss showed disappointed expressions.

Yu Tang, however, felt it didn’t matter whether Gu Xi participated or not.

Making Buddhist incense or aromatic incense was all just fun for young ladies, but actually selling it was no simple matter. Cost control alone was not something these sheltered young women could manage. If it were as Lady Pei suggested, with the nuns and lay practitioners of Ku’an Temple primarily responsible for making the incense, then selling the Buddhist incense would require an experienced chief steward putting in the effort to manage it.

She just stood to the side without speaking.

Lady Pei and Lady Yi, however, exchanged glances, and then Lady Pei said with a smile to Second Miss and Third Miss, “There’s no rush with this matter. I’ve already sent someone to speak with your Third Uncle, and he said this is a good thing and he’ll find a way to help you. You know your Third Uncle—he always keeps his word. Since he’s agreed, he’ll certainly make arrangements. You just need to make the incense according to Miss Yu’s formula. If you succeed in making it, that’s naturally good. If you don’t succeed, you’ll merely lose face before your Third Uncle—you needn’t take it to heart.”

Losing face was already the most humiliating thing!

Yu Tang felt awkward.

Fifth Miss simply said loudly, “Grandmother, you just said you were entrusting the incense-making to us. How did you change your tune so quickly?” As she spoke, she stepped forward to take Second Miss’s and Third Miss’s hands, declaring solemnly, “We keep our word and will definitely create good-smelling, unique Buddhist incense.”

Lady Pei, Lady Yi, and Second Madam all laughed heartily. Lady Yi said with particular indulgence, “Good, good, good. You’re all ambitious good children. If you truly can create unique, good-smelling Buddhist incense, I’ll reward each of you with a bag of silver ingots inscribed with ‘Everything Goes As Wished.'”

“Wonderful!” Fourth Miss said joyfully, as if that bag of silver ingots had already fallen into her pocket without question.

Everyone was amused by her and laughed again.

Gu Xi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said, “Both Ladies, I won’t participate in the incense-making. I’d like to pack my luggage in the next couple of days and return to Hangzhou. Counting the days, my elder brother should have sent a letter asking about my New Year plans. If I return home too late, my reply to him won’t reach the capital before the New Year.”

After entering the twelfth month, all the major courier stations became overstaffed and everyone was busy with New Year preparations.

Lady Pei smiled and said, “What you say makes sense.” She then had Nanny Chen fetch the almanac and said, “Tomorrow is not suitable for travel. The day after tomorrow—the day after tomorrow is a good day. It just so happens we’ll also be returning to the manor soon. Nanny Chen can speak with the steward and have them arrange a boat to send Miss Gu back to Hangzhou. As for us…” Lady Pei flipped through the almanac again and said, “We’ll return to the manor six days from now.”

Gu Xi’s heart turned to ashes.

Fifth Miss, however, exclaimed, “We’re returning to the manor so soon? What about our Buddhist incense? Sister Gu is going home, and Sister Yu is also going home…”

Lady Pei smiled and said, “Miss Yu lives in Lin’an. If you want to consult Miss Yu about making incense, you can simply send someone to invite Miss Yu to the house. What’s there to make such a fuss about?”

Fifth Miss’s face reddened as she said, “I was just thinking that Sister Yu also needs to celebrate the New Year!”

Fourth Miss said cleverly, “Third Uncle didn’t say he wanted the Buddhist incense tomorrow. We can take our time. I heard my mother’s dowry maid say that after the New Year is when business is best. We might as well wait until after the New Year.”

Third Miss countered, “Aunt’s dowry shop sells silk fabric. After spring begins, everyone needs to make unlined garments, so naturally that’s when business is best. For Buddhist incense, though, business is best before the fifteenth—that’s when everyone goes to temples to worship Buddha.”

The younger ones started arguing.

Lady Pei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and said, “Your hearts are quite ruthless. The Buddhist incense hasn’t even been made yet, and you’re already thinking about making money. If we let you manage shops, those chief stewards would all be driven to jump in the river!”

The younger generation laughed embarrassedly.

Yu Tang, however, was calculating in her mind that if they were descending the mountain six days from now, she could stay at the Pei family villa for at most another day or two before she should be able to return home, right?

She missed her mother, her father, her elder brother, her eldest aunt… she even missed Chen Pozi, who wore an apron every day while cooking in the kitchen.